Vodacom Blue Bulls fitness report - presented by Medihelp

Vodacom Blue Bulls loose forward Jacques du Plessis has recovered from his broken jaw and will be available for selection for the remainder of the Absa Currie Cup. Du Plessis trained on Monday, as a small numbers of players sat out with minor ailments.Sampie Mastriet (hip contusion) and JJ Engelbrecht (rib contusion) will again train on Tuesday, but prop Dean Greyling will have to pass a fitness test on Thursday is he is to play against DHL Western Province on Saturday in Cape Town.He is suffering from a calf strain. His regular back-up, Mornè Mellett is having a scope on his knee today and will be out of action for at least four weeks.Bjorn Basson (ankle) is also close to full fitness, team doctor Org Strauss confirmed and should be ready to play in the next two weeks. Tian Schoeman is another who is recovering well from an ankle injury and could train next week.Pierre Spies, Arno Botha, Frik Kirsten, Jaco Visagie and Flip van der Merwe remain on the long-term injury list.

The Vodacom Blue Bulls are already in crisis mode – and it’s only the first round of the Absa Currie Cup season.

Coach Frans Ludeke called in the players to Loftus Versfeld on Sunday night for an emergency meeting – following their humiliating 41-13 opening loss to the Xerox Golden Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday – where players were read the riot act.

Following a disappointing Vodacom Super Rugby season, and this start to a much-vaunted Currie Cup campaign, the players were told to either shape up or ship out as Ludeke vented his anger after the loss.

The meeting – extremely rare in Ludeke’s time as head coach – comes after fears the union may be on a downward spiral and much soul-searching will need to take place this week ahead of their next fixture against Western Province at Newlands on Saturday.

Should the Bulls also lose that game against the old enemy, it will mean they are zero from two and just like their Super Rugby campaign will have to play catch up.

This all a week after Ludeke was saying he was satisfied with the continuity as only one player – debutant Burger Odendaal – was not involved in the previous Currie Cup campaign.

And the pressure will continue to mount, given Ludeke has been summoned to explain to the Blue Bulls board of directors Monday night as to the result, and just what is happening behind the scenes at the union.

In the game against the Lions however, it was the same problems that beset the Super Rugby campaign that came back to haunt the Bulls.

While Ludeke said afterward his side had given the Lions too much broken field ball, and had not executed well when they had possession, the problem lies deeper than this.

As long as the Bulls continue on their current path they are unlikely to see the sort of success that brought two Super Rugby titles in 2009 and 2010, and made Ludeke the most successful South African coach in this regard.

BADLY HANDLED NEGOTIATIONS

Unhappiness in the changeroom has been mounting all season, especially with some of the decisions that have been made.

Consistent negativity at the role of the contracting process – under the guidance of High Performance Manager Xander Janse van Rensburg – has seen a host of players leave over the past two seasons. While many of them were lured by the strength of the Euro and Yen, there are a number who have confided they would have stayed if only the negotiations weren’t handled so badly.

One such situation is that of outgoing hooker Bongi Mbonambi, who was repeatedly told in his negotiations the Bulls weren’t negotiating with another hooker, only to see Springbok Adriaan Strauss sign for the union. Mbonambi made his decision as a result of that, and had the Bulls played open cards with him things may have been different.

The problems lie deeper than that though, as on Saturday the Blue Bulls much vaunted under-21 side – made up of the core of players from the SA under-20 side – also lost against their Lions age-group counterparts.

Couple this with selection headaches that have plagued management and an over-reliance on players who simply haven’t performed, it has made gaining any momentum difficult for the side.

It isn’t a surprise then that, when players such as Handre Pollard and Marcel van der Merwe are given their Springbok caps while Ludeke prefers other players in their positions, that somewhere something isn’t right.

Callie Visagie’s continued presence in the front row was apparently for his scrumming prowess, while Ludeke continues to believe that Werner Kruger and Dean Greyling are the way to go in the front row. This despite them being the most penalised front row in Super Rugby over the last two seasons and again receiving a lesson at the hands of the Lions on Saturday.

And then there was the ineffective loose trio on Saturday – virtually the same one that hasn’t fired all season as a unit – and who were beaten on several occasions at the breakdown by the Lions once again.

Ludeke, being a positive coach, has not thrown in the towel yet. It can be expected however, that since he was ordered by the board to coach the Currie Cup side again after three seasons without a trophy, the pressure will be on him and his team.

But it is clear that he may have to take some big decisions this coming week if the team is to return to winning ways.

I for one can never hope for my team to lose, no matter what the circumstances. My blood is to blue not to care and it hurts seeing them struggle like they are at this stage. This however does not mean that i like what is going on behind the curtains, especially with the underlining ground rules and culture being grown by our management, couches and the X-factor. I still support the blue team and every player dawning that suit should be proud to be there and i feel that is a massive issue at this stage.
No passion, no pride,no spirit ......this is what makes the Lions,Pumas better then us.

Think back to the 2007 team, we did not have the best players, we had the best team. even lesser known player that come on form the bench performed and looked good,,,,now we have superstars in the making but we cant seem to get them to play together and focused on a common goal.

We are the modern day ENRON we known what our goals are but our team does not believe in them or live them like management thinks they do.

That all said, i will still be in the trenches with the team this weekend, facing all the WP fans with my blue's strapped and stretched onto my proud bulls body.(Bier pens)

Lourens, I am beyond the point of hoping for something good to come, I'd rather have us losing every game from now on, and get rid of FL due to pressure, than hoping for FL to suddenly change his ways, I'm sick and tired of this rubbish we had to get used to the past 4 years.

I see that after and endless display of mediocre and failed performances Jurgen Visser is STILL preferred at fullback? I guess there's just no point in giving the super talented young Jesse Kriel a run while you have a hack like Visser at your disposal?

Likewise the complete failure of an experiment that is JJ Engelbrecht is maintained in the midfield......while William Small-Smith is completely ignored? BRILLIANT selection policy by Ludeke.......

Jono Ross.....another nothing player is still included in the starting line-up......I find it disturbing that in the whole of the Northern Transvaal or whatever it's called nowadays there is NOT another decent flank that can lift this mistake out of its position?

The kid they played at inside center produced what can only be described as an awful performance last weekend. He looks awkward, clumsy and ungainly.....what on earth has Dries Swanepoel done for him to be ignored like he has......attempt to chat up Ludeke's wife?

I sincerely hope all the young centers in the country are taking note.......that signing with the Bulls is a one way ticket to a midfield graveyard at a VERY young age!!

Have to say that I've been super unimpressed with Piet van Zyl who showed so much promise at the Cheetahs and has been less than mediocre since joining the Bulls. Surely he should have adjusted by now? What the hell is going on with him?

All in all I fear a long and unsuccessful Currie Cup season under the guidance of yet another failing coaching regime in SA rugby for the Bulls.

You have my sympathies chaps.......quite honestly I would completely understand if you formed a lynch mob and went down to Loftus and strung up your entire management committee AND the coaching from the crossbars!!

Blue Bull says:
Rabs Mxwale, WP u21 winger, was anounced as their best u21 backline player of 2016.

I hope that Ivan van Zyl and Ppaier can come through next season. we really need a much better nr. 9 there. One of the reasons why we struggled this year was because our 9's did not consistently performed…